Review of Dissolved CO and H Measurement Methods for Syngas Fermentation.

Syngas fermentation is a promising technique to produce biofuels using syngas obtained through gasified biomass and other carbonaceous materials or collected from industrial CO-rich off-gases. The primary components of syngas, carbon monoxide (CO) and hydrogen (H), are converted to alcohols and other chemicals through an anaerobic fermentation process by acetogenic bacteria. Dissolved CO and H concentrations in fermentation media are among the most important parameters for successful and stable operation. However, the difficulties in timely and precise dissolved CO and H measurements hinder the industrial-scale commercialization of this technique. The purpose of this article is to provide a comprehensive review of available dissolved CO and H measurement methods, focusing on their detection mechanisms, CO and H cross interference and operations in syngas fermentation process. This paper further discusses potential novel methods by providing a critical review of gas phase CO and H detection methods with regard to their capability to be modified for measuring dissolved CO and H in syngas fermentation conditions.